I’ve been using a black box for 3 months to lower my car insurance. Every week, my driving score keeps saying ‘I need to improve’… My smoothness has always been 3 out of 5 because of hard braking and speeding around corners. But last week, which was my last week with the box, my score dropped to 2 out of 5, which is the lowest it’s ever been. They say my speed was ‘a little high sometimes,’ but I really think this is nonsense! When I first got it, I paid extra attention to my speed, making sure I didn’t speed anywhere, and all I do is drive through my small village to work. I don’t even take the highway! I’m also very careful about braking because I usually drive my nan around, and she’s very fragile. My driving instructor even told me I had a ‘nice, smooth ride’ when I passed my test. So, why are my scores so low?
What makes you think this could be a scam? Insurance companies use these programs to reward safe driving and push higher-risk drivers towards other carriers. If you have poor scores, it could be working as intended. It’s meant to attract safer drivers and steer away the riskier ones.
@Frost
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I think these scores might affect my renewal and result in higher rates. If that happens, I’d look for better deals elsewhere. But I really think these scores aren’t accurate at all, and they’re using them to get more money out of me.
@Kingsley
I understand your frustration. The system is designed to reward certain behaviors and push others out. If you have poor scores and are thinking about switching, it sounds like it’s working as planned.
The whole purpose of these black boxes is to track things like hard acceleration, braking, and sharp turns. It doesn’t matter how smooth you think your braking is; if the system registers it as too hard, it counts against you. These systems are meant to adjust your driving habits. They track your behavior and create a profile based on the data they gather. The compliment from your driving instructor doesn’t compare to the data these devices collect. You may not like it, but that’s how they work.
The problem with these trackers is they don’t have context for driving situations. If someone cuts you off and you brake hard, the system just sees ‘hard braking.’ Same if you speed up to merge or swerve to avoid an obstacle. Without knowing the situation, it’s judging you unfairly. I’ve been driving safely for almost 20 years, but these boxes still rate me poorly based on these kinds of situations.
@Cass
In situations like that, it’s best to just slow down ahead of time if you see someone cutting you off. It minimizes these issues. And when accelerating, try to do it smoothly instead of too quickly. It’s all about reducing the risk they calculate based on your driving.
@Cass
Avoid swerving if you see an animal on the road. The best way is to brake hard and hope for the best. Swerving could lead to losing control and causing an accident.
@Cass
It’s crazy. I only drive through my village about 8 times a week, and that’s it. I don’t even get on the highway, so I don’t get why my score is so bad. It just doesn’t make sense.
I’d really check the numbers on how much you’re actually saving with this device. Some companies advertise ‘up to 30% off,’ but that’s usually only if you have perfect driving scores every month. In reality, it might save you just $20 or less a month. The hassle might not be worth the savings, especially if it could lead to higher premiums or losing coverage due to bad scores. Also, keep in mind that these companies are tracking your driving data and selling it to marketers. They’re not doing this just to give you discounts.
@Hadi
I’ve been saving about £20-£25 a month, and I’m all for saving money, so I decided to try it. But I didn’t think about how they could penalize me for unsafe driving habits. If that happens, I’d be pretty upset.
I’ve been using one of these trackers too, and it’s helped me save about $600 a year on insurance. But it’s not easy to get perfect scores. The key is to brake slowly and avoid hard accelerations. Also, larger cars like trucks and EVs tend to score worse because they have a different braking system. If you can manage your braking and acceleration well, the savings could be worth it.
I use State Farm’s device, and it gives me almost a 30% discount. Insurance is a numbers game. Whether you agree with the data or not, they constantly adjust the discounts based on actual claims data. I don’t know about other companies, but this one always offers a discount, even if it’s small. A study from the ‘90s showed that most drivers think they are in the top 10%, even though they’re not. This disconnect shows how people perceive their driving compared to the actual data.